SkyCity at the Space Needle is one of the most expensive restaurants in Seattle. The average entrée price is $44.93—to spend this much on the ground, you’ll have to get a menu degustation at Rover’s or put on a tie and go to Canlis. The $17 fee to go to the top of the Space Needle is waived for SkyCity diners, but if you think you can have a drink and an appetizer and rotate around enjoying the view, you’re wrong: There’s a minimum food and beverage charge of $35 per guest.
The first bite of crab cake has a piece of shell in it. This piece of shell will prove to be the strongest connection to the sea the crab cake can muster. The crab in the crab cake is in threads; no semblance of lump meat has made it into the cake, only shreds. It has a mushy texture. It looks like canned cat food, if Fancy Feast had a flavor with flecks of red bell pepper in it. It tastes like damp bread.
The crab cakes, two small ones, are lukewarm upon arrival, while some of the accompanying Wenatchee apple slaw is crunchy, some floppy. (The plate is hot, so the slaw under the crab cakes is inadvertently cooked. The plates are the only things that make it to the table hot.) Wenatchee is a place, not a kind of apple; many of the 90-million-plus boxes of apples produced in Washington’s Yakima Valley every year spend some time in Wenatchee. The words “Wenatchee apple” hit a local/sustainable/organic note, while signifying very little. The crab cakes cost $17.
The Caesar salad is $9 (single digit!). It is of a familiar type: wetly white with salty, creamy dressing, strewn with indifferent croutons. Its acquaintance with lemon is distant, anchovy undetectable; if you replaced the thin slices of too-cold Parmesan with the pre-grated food-service variety, this Caesar would be at home at the Olive Garden.
The view—it’s true—is amazing. If you haven’t been up in the Space Needle recently (and if you live in Seattle, you haven’t, because it costs $17), you’ve forgotten how our city looks in its entirety, the different-colored roofs and hidden sylvan courtyards of downtown, the neighborhoods stretching into the distance, the hills full of dollhouses, the toy ferries on the expanse of silver Sound, the mountains, the clouds. The mountains and the clouds: so beautiful, they seem artificial. This land is our land, and it is incredible, in the sense of difficult to completely believe.
What they do to a pork chop at SkyCity ought to be punishable by law. They start with “kurabuta” pork, or as the rest of the world spells it, kurobuta pork, which is purportedly cider-brined; this is difficult to detect after it’s been cooked until gray and mealy and moistureless. If you’ve ever had kurobuta pork, or even just a good chop at a diner, this pork chop will cause grieving. It is barely warm; it sits in an unremittingly sweet pool of bourbon-maple sauce, sided with a mound of garlic mashed potatoes. Even the mashed potatoes are terrible—unrich, unsmooth, starch-tasting. A kitchen that can’t be bothered to put enough butter and cream into mashed potatoes and then mash them enough is not trying. Next to them: a watery pile of string that is said to be roasted spaghetti squash. This is $39.
A trio of seafood was the least disappointing plate at SkyCity, being only two-thirds travesty. The scallops suffered a grilling that eradicated ocean-sweetness and tenderness, while grittiness was preserved; the wild salmon was also cooked very, very thoroughly, attaining a tinny taste. A couple of butterflied Gulf prawns, by contrast, were saved prior to desiccation—a rare instance of the kitchen knowing when to stop (or a random incidence?). The seafood trio’s vegetables, however, included a brussels sprout so hard, a fork could only be introduced with the utmost effort: It was half vegetable, half rock. The two-thirds-travesty seafood trio with vegetable-rock costs $49.
This sounds like hyperbole, but it’s not. Rolling around SkyCity’s incredible view—the restaurant revolves 360 degrees every 47 minutes— while you eat a fancy dinner ought to be one of the best experiences of anyone’s life. There are birthday parties, and children balance notes on the windowsill that circumnavigate and collect greetings (“Dear person reading, Hello! We are from Bellingham. Where are you from?” “RUSSIA.” “Victoria.” “Seattle—hi!”). The youngest, awkwardest couple ever sits gaping over a ribbon-tied gift bag and a bottle of sparkling cider in an ice bucket. A big group comes in, women and one girl—she looks around 11—with balloons and matching T-shirts. The shirts say “Make-A-Wish Foundation.” This dinner at SkyCity is the thing this girl wants to do before she dies. She probably doesn’t know how miraculous this dinner could taste, how much better this night of her life could be. She will be dazzled by the view, by the kind formality of the server, by the fog of the dry ice that pours over the table when she gets the famous Lunar Orbiter dessert, which besides the smoke and mirrors is a completely ordinary one-scoop ice cream sundae that costs $9.50. You sure as hell hope she doesn’t know.
The Space Needle’s restaurant has always been overpriced, and it has never been good, and everybody knows it. Its last review, 10 years ago in the Seattle Times, earned it “far from perfect.” In 2009, according to Restaurants & Institutions, SkyCity’s average diner spent $60, SkyCity served more than a quarter million meals, and SkyCity grossed $14.1 million. SkyCity doesn’t care whether the food is good—they don’t have to. It’s not about the food, or the city, or anyone’s dearest wish on this earth: It’s about the money.
SkyCity’s decor is corporate bland: The only thing that stands out is a large painting near the elevator that happens to be by Dale Chihuly. SkyCity’s lengthy wine list is almost all Washington wines: Among the “Featured Space Needle Wines” are three with bottles featuring “a bold drawing by local artist, Dale Chihuly.” The company that runs SkyCity and the Space Needle is the same one that wants to build the Chihuly museum that’s been proposed for the Seattle Center near the Space Needle’s base. Like the Space Needle, the Chihuly museum would be a for-profit business—one built on public land that the public would have to pay money to get into. The profits—like the profits of SkyCity—would go to the company that runs it, which is owned by the Wright family. Patriarch Jeffrey Wright has contributed more than $50,000 to conservative Republican candidates and causes over the past several years.
The restaurant at the Space Needle could be a marvel, a serious gourmet dining experience with the world’s best view for the most special of special occasions—a source of civic pride. Instead, it’s a rip-off and a joke, something the average Seattle citizen gets exactly nothing out of. We have no reason to believe the museum would be different. 
This seems to be a tragedy that befalls many food and restauraunt reviewers. The become too wrapped up in themselves and forget that the general public is not looking for crazy 20 year old cheese or some contriband delicacy smuggled in a dirty baby diaper. And though I cannot presume to speak for everyone and say that everyone will absolutely love the spaceneedle I can say that it is a wonderful romantic place to eat dinner. Yes, it could be better. But if you put away the bitterness and political views and over seasoned pallate theres not much to complain about. My experience was pleasant if not always present service (but hey,they were probably just giving us privacy), decent food (it was actually better than I had expected from what I had heard about it), and a wonderful view and experience. I never felt rushed to leave the table. My pasta was hot and creamy with plenty of truffle and a huge ammount of seafood in it. My boyfriend had copper river salmon with oven roasted asparagus-the fish was a little over cooked but tasty anyway and they even gave us a free icecream lunar orbiter dessert for filling out a survey about the service and food. I still reccomend the space needle to people who come in town. It is pricey but along with a stroll down pikesplace it is one of the best ways that I know to experience seattle in a short time.
The REAL travesty is that you would use your political views and disdain for the proposed Chihuly museum to attempt to trash a wonderful restaurant and a Seattle landmark. I am a local who dines at the restaurant several times a year with clients, associates, and family and my guests and I have never left without being totally satisfied and amazed at the delicious cuisine and dining experience. They didn’t win restaurant of the year for nothing! Maybe you should channel your opposition for the proposed Seattle Center project more constructively next time! The Stranger is known for hating everything and stirring up controversy, so I hope that locals who have not dined at Sky City will realize that, as I have and other locals who know how wonderful the food is at the Needle.
W
I took a friend to the Space Needle. First, I told him that it was going to be the most expensive, most unbelievably awful meal he would ever eat and asked if he was sure he wanted to go. I told him the views were fantastic, but I didn’t think they made up for the terribleness that we were about to intentionally inflict on ourselves. He still wanted to go. Maybe he thought I was joking.
We got there, had snotty, terrible service, and were unceremoniously served two cremated blocks that were supposedly once salmon. I’m guessing in another century. Cost per plate: $49.
I can’t emphasize enough how bad the salmon was. Not only was it farmed Atlantic, it was so overcooked it was closer to cardboard than it was to food. The veggies were limp from overcooking.
Our awful server disappeared after the plates were dumped in front of us. He never came back. I think he had a busser drop the check. We were there late, so they turned up the air conditioning to try to freeze us out, then finally turned on all the lights and stopped the rotation. We had to walk around the restaurant to find the elevator down.
It’s not as bad as everyone is saying. It’s substantially worse.
I will throw down (and regularly do) for a great steak at the Met, or some fantastic fresh wild Alaskan Yukon River salmon. Eating at the Space Needle is worse than lighting your money on fire. You can get a much better meal and better service at Dick’s Deluxe. Then drive to Kelly park and enjoy the view for free. If you want something special, go to Canlis.
I take out of town guests to the Columbia Tower if they want to see the view. And if you really want to eat while high in the sky, get a membership to the Columbia Tower Club or find a friend who has one. Food isn’t fantastic, but it’s worlds better than the Space Needle.
I’ll admit I’ve never eaten there myself, but here’s an observation: Bethany’s review and comment-section reviews like #53 seem more believable than some of the anons because they contain things like convincing details…
(Nice try, though, owners!)
They start with “kurabuta” pork, or as the rest of the world spells it, kurobuta pork…
I know this is a trivial point (believe me…), but what the fuck is it with kurobuta on the menus around here? Is it something in the lower Queen Anne air?
Just recently there was a review of Toulouse Petit here, and I commented that their breakfast menu featured “kurobota”… I just double-checked it now (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2…) and found that their menu has both kurobota and kurubota on it.
Your food descriptions were hilarious, if a bit on the hyperbolic side as well. I’ve been there several times–mostly I admit on the behest of my son, 8, who loves the smoky dessert. It’s an experience and experiences on top of the world cost. The food’s not that bad.
If you’re just in it for the view, check out the water tower at Volunteer Park on a sunny day (it’s still there, right?). Same gorgeous Technicolor Cinemascope view, no cruddy gaggles of tourists, and best of all it’s free. Of course there’s no overpriced underwhelming food at the top, and it’s a bit of a hike up the spiral staircase for the athletically challenged, but it’s worth it.
does it seem to anyone else that # 53 reads like a professional food critic? Maybe it just seems like that to me. Anyway, I ate at the space needle last year with some family in town and it was decent. I’m not saying it was amazing or anything but it wasnt as terrible as she made it seem. I had the big tomahawk steak. It was cooked perfectly. My brother and sister in law said that their food was O.K. one had lamb that was a little over cooked and one had butter stuffed chicken. The butter seemed like a good idea to keep it moist but it had all run out by the time that it hit the table. I Don’t remember the price of anything but I knew when going up there that it would be costly.
This review is a little inaccurate. I’ve spent over $44 on an entree at at least 4 Seattle restaurants in the last year or two, none were Canlis or Rover’s. If you add the places that cost $50 in small plates per person you get quite a few high-cost places… For example, The Metropolitan Grill’s average entree is about $52.
It’s understandable to be underwhelmed by the food at Sky City. It sucks ** FOR THE PRICE **, but the experience is unparalleled. 9 out of 10 diners at the needle probably enjoyed their time eating there, and most will come back again. When I ate there, I thought it was really good. They don’t advertise it as “affordable”.
Yeah, I gotta say I agree with some of the other comments on here. I know that Sky City is crap and I am against the Glass Museum, but why did you have to go and ruin a perfectly legitimate food review by throwing a political jab into the mix??
I personally am getting sick of the Stranger cramming their politics into every nook and cranny they can squeeze it into.It’s getting old and it takes away credibility. Especially for a damn food review. Ms. Clement, you should be ashamed of yourself. It’s quite clear you will show bias and prejudice to an establishment that doesn’t share in your politics.
That’s as sh*tty as the Sky City crab cakes.
I’m used to local attractions around the country stealing my money in the name of tourism but what really ticked me off was that the condom machine in the mens room stole my 75 cents.
One could substitute “The Stranger” for “SkyCity,” change the food analogy to incisive journalism, Dan Savage for Dale Chihuly, and there would utterly no difference in the judgement. Voila! – Frederic
What superbly dead-on details about the food. I could never quite put my finger on it, but you’ve hit on exactly what is not right, and it is so not right. Can you imagine what the food would be like if they (someone? who is it, actually?) felt challenged enough to try to match the spectacular view with food equally amazing? And oh, the story about the girl and Make A Wish foundation; I sunk reading that. Having a mother who just passed away from cancer, I understand last adventures. She’s lived in Seattle for 20 years, and I asked if she wanted to go up the Space Needle for a little fun; “you’re kidding, right?” she said. She, among some other kooky but always-wanted-to-do-it things, chose to put silver outlines of men on the mudflaps of her truck. Good job, mom.
#53 reminded me of the Salmon! I had forgotten that when I was last there (over a year ago) that I saw that on the menu and was DISGUSTED! Atlantic farmed Salmon, IN SEATTLE!! And I went in August after Salmon season!
@60–well,someone’s gotta do it. One can be forgiven for doubting that any more ‘official’ type news outlets will voice such things. Doncha think?
Never been to Space Needle. Whenever I visit Seattle I have a perfectly great time wandering around neighborhoods, visiting local cafes (LOCAL, not Starbucks-it’s not local anymore), meeting interesting locals which Seattle is full of, and eating enjoyable, unpretentious food at local eaterys that fit my student budget. If I want a view, there’s mountains around the city. They’re pretty tall. And I can just bring a good bottle of wine, drink out of the bottle, and spin around with my hands in the air! It’s great fun, the tourist board shoulc promote that more, and it’s much less expensive.
At least in St. Louis, by the Arch they have a McDonalds in an old steamboat. Sure, the food sucks but you know what to expect, it’s unpretentious.
Why is SkyCity so damn expensive anyway? If they wanted some cred, they could just lower their prices and still the controversy, seems to me.
@50 That’s the point you’re going to make? “Seattle has other expensive restaurants. Why are you complaining that this restaurant is expensive?” She’s complaining about it because the food is fucking nasty. Those other expensive restaurants might charge you $50 for an entree but they give you an entree that is worth $50 or damn near it. If SkyCity is charging $39 for an entree, even if you want to subtract $17 for the elevator ride, you should still be getting an entree that’s at least $22 good. But hell, I’m not even asking for that. If they were serving food of Olive Garden quality I’d be happy, because it’s still edible. It’s food that you don’t immediately regret having eaten. I don’t mind paying extra for the view and the “fun”, as you put it, but to be up there I have to eat at least $35 worth of food and that process shouldn’t be painful.
And, on a side note, as someone who tries to put her money where her politics are, I appreciate knowing where the money I am giving a business ultimately goes.
Wow. By the way, you all should click the “Write your own damn review” link and check out all the four and five star reviews that have been posted since April 8, 2010. (There are 29 of them, for those who are counting). I pity all the poor people who are going to get misdirected by the flood of support and go there expecting a wonderful experience.
It’s kind of telling that all of the “write your own damn reviews” have such similar language and phrasing. I’m not from Seattle, but as someone else said….. the author and a few of the negative comm enters gave a lot of detail. I’m sorry, but if I’m gonna drop $50 for an entree, it better be a REALLY special meal requested by a kid whom I am close to or be fanfuckingtastic. Period.
The best thing about SkyCity is the view.
While some may dislike this food+current events review, I think its actually a great addition to the debate over the future of the center. How the proprietors of SkyCity run their business, and who they run it for, is an important factor is deciding whether they get to run a private museum on public land.
I don’t like Chihuly, but a glass museum could potentially be a nice addition to the center. A museum run like SkyCity would be a travesty. They have the most plum location in all of Seattle and have run the restaurant into a tourist trap. Why should we let them manage another institution?
Was the food better in 2000? I was on vacation in Seattle in 2000, and we of course had dinner at SkyCity. I had the salmon – it was my first time ever eating fish – and it was a revelation. I dunno, maybe I’ve colored over the memory just because I thought the city was so cool.
A negative review of the food at SkyCity shouldn’t come as a surprise. Try finding a positive review in guidebooks for Seattle. At best these reviews try to be kind: “It is understood, of course, that you’re paying for the view, and it is a very fine one. But the cost is just too steep for the meals served here, which have a reputation for dipping to mediocre and barely rising to good.” –from Access Seattle
The Stranger can be snarky and over-the-top, but it isn’t inaccurate to point out that SkyCity serves crappy overpriced food.
Seriously, everyone defending anything that this article decries is trippin. As a Seattle native who has been there once (the food really is that bad), the blatant profiteering and exploitation of our most recognizable landmark just disgusts me. @53 said it best, if you want a real view of the city find a way to get to the Columbia Tower Club. From 75 stories up even the Space Needle looks tiny.
As for the political side of things, The Stranger is just doing what they do. Although the concept of bringing politics into a discussion about food seems off-kilter, it’s extremely relevant. If they don’t bring this stuff up, who will? The Wright Family cannot continue pulling this crap off in our fair city. The proposed Chihuly Museum would essentially be a visual SkyCity. Don’t listen to the astroturfers, make up your own mind and help defend Seattle from this corporate beast.
Brilliant review, Bethany, I loved it.
Stop calling yourself “foodies”. You just distinguish yourself as someone who doesn’t know shit about food. And you sound stupid. Especially to your waiter/ bartender/ sommelier.
I have eaten at skycity twice. It has been a few years, the last time was in 2007 when I was on my honeymoon. The food was excellent, service perfect, an all around wonderful evening with my new bride. As for those who rip on people that state it’s a good place, stop complaining and go find another location that offers those views.
I am always interested in legitmate reviews of food and food prep. Making fun of dying 11 year olds is so cold I am amazed it was kept in this story – do you always poke fun about dying kids, or just as part of writing about food? Maybe your next review could include folks with Parkensons having trouble eating, or MS cases with special impliments. There is a whole style / series thing here that any editor can appreciate.
I also look forward to reading about political leanings of the owners of all restaurants that you write about in your future so-called food reviews.
“A perfect crust, too bad they support Ron Paul”. “A splendid blend of spices but thethe owners mom is a devout Catholic and supports Anti Abortion candidates.
If you spent time around some farms, even the organic ones, you might be surprised by the range of political thoughts about zoning codes and environmental regulations.
I guess we can only eat fair trade grown brown rice after we check to see what charities and politics the owner supports, and make sure no one is present who is sick or dying… as they will become part of the column.
I wait tables up there. It’s a good job, and it seems like 9 out of 10 customers totally dig the food. Usually the conversation goes like this: “this food is actually really good! much better than what I’d heard!”. So thanks for keeping expectations low, it makes them very easy to exceed. They’ll come up regardless, you know. There’s a lot of bogus info in these comments. Atlantic farmed salmon? Pre-cooked food in steam tables? Definitely not in the last four years (and I doubt ever).
I’m with Coggie: LOL hyperbolic description of the food at the Space Needle!
You’re right—-I’d be better off spending that much at Canlis.
Sad.
Went there for my birthday and it was horrible. Hadn’t been there in 10yrs. The Last time we had mediocre food, the service was fine, the view great. This time my husband got food poisoning, my food was Denny’s quality, the waiter was absent, the view was grand. How hard is it to make an average meal?
Join one of the Facebook groups opposed to Chihuly and Wrigth corps:
NO to Chihuly at the Needle
and
Anybody but Chihuly at the Needle
The review was good but the bit at the end about the Chihuly museum was fucking ridiculous. Totally irrelevant and tacked on.
I’ve enjoyed all my meals at the Needle, maybe because I enjoyed the event/the company. I just don’t recall the food being that bad.
But to those who say it’s so “great for the tourists,” my relatives came here last year and were looking forward to lunch there, but it had become far too expensive for them. So we went to Ivar’s instead. Great service, great food.
Thank you for mentioning the owner is a Repub donor. They don’t need anymore control over public lands. It is helpful to know who is trying to take over more of our public space even if the info comes in the form of a food review.
Another place stolen by the rich for the rich. Tell me something new.
Boycott the Space Needle. The message is simple – no loss of planned open space at Seattle Center.
http://lightandair.wordpress.com/
Reply to the Klaw:
I used to work up there too; during the Century 21 World Exposition. I left after being promoted to Captain. The food has been mediocre from Day 1. But then most of Seattle Cuisine hasn’t been impressive either. The dilliante pricing of Seattle’s food industry is why I don’t dine out. When I want slop I cook my own for a helluva lot less than some effete money-grubbing tourist trap. However, masochist that I am, I plan to visit The Space Needle Restaurant (a.k.a., SkyCity) on 21 April 2010 for an anniversary of sorts. I’ll be the old fart with the “62 Club” pin.
Just went to lunch here at the beginning of the week and it was AMAZING! The food was surperb and considering $23 – $35 for lunch (which includes the observation deck that would normally cost $18) was not bad. The food was great. I had the pork sandwich which came with the most amazing apple slaw and fries for $27.
Bethany sounds like a jaded local with a stick up her ass. Go enjoy lunch and the views.